His death had been previously confirmed as part of the hard-hitting storyline on knife crime.

But EastEnders fans still struggled to hold back the tears on Friday as they finally said goodbye to Shakil Nazir, after he passed away in hospital from a shock stabbing.

Viewers - BBC - Soap - Twitter - Grief

Viewers of the BBC soap rushed to Twitter to express their grief at the heart-wrenching scenes, with others also praising actress Bonnie Langford for her performance as Shakil's devastated mum Carmel.

After finally being discovered in the Albert Square bushes hours after being stabbed by a rival gang, Shakil (played by Shaheen Jafargholi was frantically rushed to hospital but doctors were unable to save him.

Carmel - Shakil - Brother - Kush - Davood

Carmel and Shakil's brother Kush (played by Davood Ghadami) were then delivered the news that the teen had passed away, leaving the family completely heartbroken.

At first Carmel refused to believe that her son had died, and it wasn't until she was allowed to see the body that the brutal reality began to sink in, breaking down in tears as she stood by his bed.